'Leatherface' Actor Cleared of Animal Cruelty Charge

The city of Santa Monica has dropped a misdemeanor charge against a bit actor suspected of animal cruelty.

Responding to a tip from a concerned neighbor, Santa Monica police arrested Andrew Bryniarski, who played Leatherface in two recent Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies, earlier this month after reportedly finding as many as 25 dogs stowed in a motor home in the Ocean Park neighborhood. His girlfriend, Jennifer Abram, was also arrested, but never charged due to a "medical issue," according to Terry White, the city's top criminal prosecutor.

25 Dogs Seized From Actor in Santa Monica

A misdemeanor animal cruelty charge was filed against Bryniarski, but it was dismissed on Friday, White said.

"After additional reports were submitted to us, we didn't feel we could prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt," he said.

According to celebrity gossip site TMZ.com, all 25 Pomeranians found in the actor's mobile home were "healthy and happy."

Bryniarski said he was running a mobile adoption center.

Police were called to the area by someone who complained of dogs barking in a motor home. When they arrived, officers found the motor home door ajar. Inside, there were stacks of dog kennels with multiple dogs in each kennel, and it smelled of urine, department spokesman Richard Lewis told City News Service.

Bryniarski most notably appeared in Platinum Dunes' two recent Texas Chainsaw films as the murderous butcher Leatherface.

He is considering legal action against Santa Monica, as the case hurt his acting career, and will continue to operate his rescue from his RV, but not in Santa Monica, according to TMZ.

"I couldn't say whether [Bryniarkski] might have been trying to rescue the dogs," White said.

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